


Shyan

by AK29



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-09-13 16:02:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16895703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AK29/pseuds/AK29
Summary: Another entirely personal collection of works, this time featuring a friend's OC.





	1. One

She knew he would be trouble. More than he was worth in the end, perhaps. Still, she argued for his life when Ji had him at the tip of her spear. Not because she felt obligated to save a templar after slaughtering so many on their flight. Not because she felt any special connection between them. Not because he was, admittedly, good-looking.

 

But because she was so very tired of death and fire and righteous fury and people fighting for values that meant nothing in the face of your loved ones burning alive. So when Weshi wanted to put an end to him, his trouble, his baggage, whatever that may be, Shy stepped in front of him.

 

Which was, naturally very unbecoming of her nickname and truthfully? She’d rather get rid of this courage she’d acquired over the past few months, courage born from nothing but necessity. Courage that only was courage because all the cowards were dead and she feared death more than cowardice. It was hardly something to be proud of.

 

“We have no reason to kill him and he can hardly report our position to anyone when he’s with us. We don’t even have means to get messages to our own people! He’s at worst harmless, at best another blade at our side.”

 

“A blade that doesn’t think you’re even a living being, Shy.” The glint in Ji’s eyes told her she was getting through - she liked this as little as she did.

 

“Can we please note that I never said anything of the like?”, the stranger interrupted, raising a finger in a placating gesture. “She’s obviously alive.”

 

“Shut it.”

 

“Yes, ser.”

 

They didn’t seem to like each other much, but then again Ji hardly liked anyone these days.

 

“Were you tracking us?”

 

The stranger looked down on himself, a mockery of Ji’s question. Of course he hadn’t been tracking them. He was unarmoured, what little remained of his equipment torn, his wounds never completely healed. His face was bloody, his body bruised, his appearance dirty and dishevelled. Not a bad look, but it told Shy everything she needed to know. Another coward fleeing the battle, a deserter, a traitor, scum.

 

As if she was any better. As if she hadn’t so sorely disappointed herself in the past.

 

“No?”

 

Ji frowned and tilted his head up with the steel tip of her staff, breaking skin and releasing a small trickle of blood. “Careful, templar. I’ve slain many of your brothers and sisters and you will surely not be the last.”

 

“I think most templars would be insulted that you just called them my siblings.”

 

He had a smug sense about him, no matter how much he was at the mercy of three mages, three women who could see him going up in flames before he could make another remark.

 

Well, Ji could, anyway. Shy’s fire spells were somewhat lacking recently.

 

Weshi was the one who pushed them to a final result.

 

“Would you two please do this now? We can’t stay here. If he really isn’t alone, then pursuit can’t be far.”

 

“There’s no pursuit, and if there is, then they’re after me.”

 

“All the more reason to leave you here.”

 

“Then you have killed him just as well as if you slit his throat now!”, Shy protested, against better judgement. She wouldn’t sleep tonight with more blood on her hands.

 

“Look…”

 

The stranger raised his hands, trying to look less threatening. Not that he looked very threatening before. “I don’t have much. But I have a blade and know how to use it and I’m probably even less eager to face the Order right now. I won’t just be another mouth to feed.”

 

It was likely as close to begging as he would get. Ji lowered her weapon. “Your name.”

 

“Balter. Ryan Balter.”

 

“Very well, Balter. I hope you still have strength in those legs because we don’t have another horse to spare. We’ll see if you survive our pace ‘till nightfall. If you stil breathe then, you may stay.”

  
He didn’t incline his head in thanks but he didn’t protest either, he simply set his jaw and stared at them as they mounted.


	2. Two

He had to drag her to the ballrom. No, literally. She had put both her feet firmly to the ground and all he could do was grasp her arms and pull. Her boots made an awful squeaking noise as she skidded across the floor.

“Ryan, no! Maker’s sake, stop, I can’t-. Kaffas, I can’t dance!”

When they reached the dance floor he pulled harder and she stumbled into his arms. Ass.

She was ready for his smug comments, for his proclaimed victory over her but all he did was whisper in his ear.

“I’m looking fairly common but you are wearing tevinter clothes. If you don’t try to do what everyone else does at a ball, it’ll look suspicious. They’ll think you’re planning some Venatori attack or somesuch.”

The music changed to a slower tune. 

He pulled back and took hold of her arms once more, positioning them as they should be. They were close enough for her to smell him. She took a deep breath, still refusing to look at his face.

“Put on a show for a few minutes. I swear it’ll be alright.”

He lead the dance. As far as she could tell he was a poor dancer, but at least he knew the steps and did not step on anyone’s toes like she did. Mostly his. It was easier for him to help her along when they were this close, whispering into her “It didn’t hurt, it’s alright” and “Don’t look at your feet, stop thinking about the movements.” or even “You’re doing fine, love.” It helped. He helped. 

It seemed to take forever but she found the rythm eventually, stopped stepping on his feet, stopped looking at her own. She just closed her eyes, put her head on his shoulder and breathed.

And contemplated punching him once they were out of sight of anyone fancy.

Mostly that. 


	3. Three

There were more coming. Shyama ducked her head.

“Goddess have mercy, how many are out there?!”

Balter smirked, breathing hard, slamming another clip into his rifle with more force than was probably necessary. “How about we worry about killing them first, hm, love?”

She felt herself nodding before she even realized she was doing it. She was exhausted. Her entire body felt raw with the use of biotics. Concerned, she let her gaze flick over her companion.

He looked worse than she felt. Shyama had a feeling he was in pain. His cybernetics most likely.

She remembered that his leg was a weak point and he must have gotten hit judging from the blood around him.

He was about to get up to fire when she laid a hand on his shoulder.

“I’ll get this. You try and patch yourself up.”

She could neither make much of his look nor his voice but both struck her as unusual.

“You’re outta juice. You’ll strain your biotics.”

The asari flashed him a weary grin. “I’m a grown girl. I know my limits.”

Shyama didn’t give him another chance to answer, jumping out of cover and charging the husks making their way to where Balter was in cover.

The first husk was killed on impact, the second got her fist, twisting his neck into an impossible angle. The third went down after getting a taste of her shotgun.

It was brutal. She was knocked down once, blood seeping from her forehead into her eyes, messing up her sight. She still managed.

By the time she reached Balter she was limping and he was…

“Balter? You okay?”

He was determined to look at the floor instead of her. She kneeled down in front of him.

“Ryan?”

That was when he started shaking.

Shyama wrapped her arms around him, out of habit, not really thinking.

Balter didn’t respond in any way but the shaking stopped after a little while.

It was only after a while that Shyama noticed she was shaking as well.

If her body had felt raw before, she was skinned now.

She noticed Balter stiffening and had a question on her tongue, but before she could say anything he had her body slung over himself and made off in another direction. When Shyama looked over her shoulder she saw another wave coming.


End file.
